Pneumatic thread remover for looms



Feb. 27, 1951 R. G. TURNER 2,543,513

PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER FOR LOOMS Filed July 17, 1948 INVENTOR RI OHARD G. TURNER ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 27, 1951 PNEUMATIC THREAD REMQVER FOR LQOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton a- Knowles loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 17, 1948, Serial No. 39,224

Ciaims.

This invention relates to pneumatic thread removers for looms and it is thegeneral object of the invention to provide means which will hold a thread in the remover and prevent it from falling or accidentaily moving out of the remover.

In bobbin changing looms a thread extends from the selvage to the outgoing bobbin at the time of a replen shing operation and it is necessary to control this thread in such manner that it will not be drawn into the shed. Heretofore I have proposed pneumatic means for aceou plishing this result including a tube or the like operating in such. manner as to draw thereinto one end of the aforesaid thread. If the loom should stop there is likelihood that the thread will fall out of the thread remover and later be whipped into the shed. The removers which I have proposed heretofore have operated with intermittently actuated air pumps which periodica'ly create a partial vacuum within the remover preferably as the lay is moving rearwardly.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a thread holding attachment located within the tube and so constructed as to prevent retrograde movement of the thread in the tube, but permit the thread upon cutting at the salvage to pass through the tube without entanglement.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a thread remover in the form of a ball stop or the like mounted in a holder fitted into the tube of the remover. The stop acts by gravity to hold the thread against retrograde removal from the tube but is light enough to re spond to subatmospheric pressures within the remover and permit the thread to pass beside it.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a thread trap unit which can be fitted into pneumatic thread removers now in use.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of the invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a weft replenishing mechanism having the invention ap plied thereto, adjacent parts of the loom being shown in section,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a part of the structure shown in Fig.1.,

Fig. is an enlarged longitudinal section on line of Fig.2,

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged transverse sections on lines t-l and -45, respectively, of Fig.

Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing the thread holding means in two positions, and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the relation of the thread remover with respect to the cloth and the shuttle being replenished.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom frame it has mounted thereon a stand ll carrying a pivot pin 2 for a reserve bobbin ma-azine M. The latter is shown in the present instance as of the rocking type, but the invention is not necessarily limited to this form of magazine. The stand H supports a stud it on which is pivoted a transferrer arm it which operates on replenishing beats of the loom to force a reserve bobbin from the magazine into the shuttle S. The latter will be located in a shuttle box H on the lay It under the magazine on replenishing beats of the loom.

Pivoted on the stud i5 is a carrier Ed on which is sidably mounted a rod or the like 2i the rear end of which is surrounded by a spring 22 which serves normally to hold the rod in rearward position but permits the same to be moved forwardly if engaged by a misplaced shuttle. A stop collar 23 on the rod 21 engages the part of the carrier 28 to limit rearward movement of the rod.

Secured to the rear end of rod 2! is a thread remover designated generally at R. mover may be substantially of the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and has a lower preferably conical end 24 formed with a mouth 25 and a thread pick-up lip 26 depending below the mouth.

The upper end of the remover B may be cylindrical as at 21 and has fitted therearound the lower end of a flexible hose 28.

A hollow thread collector C has the upper end thereof connected by a hose 3b to an intermittently acting pump not shown but set forth in my prior Patent No. 2,199,354. The pump preferably operates on the backward stroke of the lay to create partial atmospheric pressures within the hose. During forward movement of the lay, and when the loom is at rest, atmospheric pressures exist in remover R.

As shown in Fig. 8 the remover is located between the fabric K and the shuttle S, and on replenishing beats of the loom a thread cutter 3i cuts the filling thread of the outgoing bobbin B. That part of the thread between the cutter and the remover is then drawn into the latter during backward movement of the lay, but when the loom is at rest there is a tendency for the thread F to fall out of the remover.

On replenishing beats of the loom the transferrer arm lowers the remover R to a position This re- 3 where it can pick up the thread as the lay moves rearwardly. As the lay approaches its rearmost position after the shuttle has been picked a rod 32 rises to return the remover R to its normal raised position.

The matter thus far described may be of wellknown construction and of itself forms no part of the present invention.

In carrying the present invention into effect means are provided for holding the thread F when atmospheric pressures exist into the remover so that it cannot fall out of the latter or in any other way have retrograde movement to move downwardly out of the mouth 25. The upper cylindrical part 2! of the remover has fitted thereinto a hollow cage or holder 35 within which is located a thread holding or looking ball 35. lhe cage has the lower end thereof formed as a funnel with a downwardly tapered bottom 3? having a perforation 38 therein of less diameter than the diameter of the ball.

The upper part of the cage or holder is open and provided with means for preventing the ball from upward escapement therefrom. In the present instance this means comprises short fingers 40 which are inclined as indicated for instance in Fig. 3 in the direction of air fiow through the hose 23, that is, upwardly as viewed in Fig. 3.

Extending laterally from the top of the cage or holder are retaining ears 4! which extend over the upper cylindrical end 2? of the remover tube to limit downward movement of the holder. The latter preferably has a snug fit with the interior of the remover tube and the ball is of such weight that it can be lifted by the subatmospheric pressures existing in the hose 28.

Under normal conditions when subatmospheric pressures are absent within the tube 28 the ball falls by gravity to the position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 7 to close perforation 38 and by its weight hold the filling thread F against the holder and prevent it from passing downwardly through the remover R. When subatmospheric pressures exist within the tube 28 the ball will be lifted pneumatically to open the perforation or orifice 38, but will be stopped in its upward movement by one or more of the fingers 40. The latter offer little or no resistance to movement of the thread in an upward direction and it is therefore able to pass through the holder and cage 35 and on to the collector C.

It is not necessary that the ball 36 be very large or possess much weight, and it can for instance be made either of rubber, Wood, a light metal, and may be either solid or hollow. It will be sufficient for the purposes of the invention if the ball acting under gravity falls to the position shown in Fig. 7 when subatmospheric pressures are absent in the tube 28, but will be moved from its normal position to that shown in Fig. 6 when subatmospheric pressures exist in the tube 28. Because the ball has a smooth rounded surface and can move freely within the holder it does not become entangled with the thread F and the latter can pass by the ball and upwardly through the opening 45 in the top of the holder 35. The latter and the ball constitute a trap which is open under one condition of the loom, such as when the lay is receding and subatmospheric pressures exist in the remover, and closed under another condition of the loom, such as when the lay is advancing or the loom is stopped and atmospheric pressures exist in the remover.

The tube 24 with the holder 35 and its ball 36 the cage.

may be considered as a thread control unit, while the holder and its ball apart from the tube may be considered as a thread trap.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple trap means for holding the thread in the thread remover R, said means comprising a ball which is alternately controlled pneumatically and by gravity. When closing the trap due to gravity the ball cooperates with the cage or holder 35 to prevent a thread from falling out of the remover B. When subatmospheric pressures exist within the tube 28, however, the ball will either be lifted or at least be moved to one side of perforation 38 by the uprushing air to permit the thread to be transported pneumatically to the collector C. The smooth rounded surface of the ball has no projections or the like to become entangled with a thread, and since the ball moves freely within its holder 35 and has no pivots or the like it enables a thread to pass upwardly into the hose 28 without interference. The fingers 48, pointing generally in the direction of movement of air in the remover, are selfclearing and do not entangle the thread or prevent it from responding to pneumatic pressures.

Also, the ears 4! serve as a convenient means for limiting downward movement of the cage relatively to the remover R. These ears and the fingers 40 are preferably formed integral with It should be understood that the fingers 3B are not the only means which may be employed to limit upward movement of the ball. The holder with inclosed ball is so made that it can fit into pneumatic thread holders now in use.

Having thus described the invention it will'be seen that changes and modifications of the foregoing specific disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In pneumatic thread remover means for a loom, a tube in which subatmospheric pressures existunder one condition of the loom and in which atmospheric pressures exist under another condition of the loom, a ball within the tube, and a holder in the tube confining the ball but permitting the latter to move freely therein, said holder having a perforation in the bottom thereof and being open at the top thereof; said ball under said other condition of the loom resting by gravity on said holder to close said perforation and hold any thread in the perforation under the ball against the holder, said ball under said one condition of the loom being lifted pneumatically from said perforation to provic'e a path all around tube having a thread receiving mouth at the lower end thereof when the tube is in operating position, a hollow holder in the upper end of the tube having an orifice in the lower end thereof and being open at the upper end thereof, and a ball movable freely within the holder, said ball by gravity closing the orifice to hold a thread extending through the latter under the ball against the holder, said ball when pneumatically raised relatively to the holder opening said orifice and providing a path all around the ball along any part of which the thread may pass.

3. A thread control unit for the pneumatic thread remover of a loom, said unit comprising a tube having a thread receiving mouth at the lower end thereof when the tube is in operating position, a hollow holder in the upper end of the tube having an orifice in the bottom thereof and being open at the top thereof, a ball freely movable within the holder normally closing the orifice due to the action of gravity to hold a thread passing through the orifice against the holder, and stop means on the upper end of the holder extending upwardly away from the orifice and limiting upward movement of the ball with respect to the holder.

4. A thread. trap for a pneumatic thread remover including a tube in which subatmospheric pressures can be created, said trap comprising a hollow holder proportioned to fit within the tube and having a thread orifice at one end thereof and being open at the other end thereof, a ball movable freely within the holder and capable of closing said orifice, and stop fingers on the holder projecting in a direction away from the orifice and positioned to limit movement or the ball in a direction away from the orifice.

5. A thread trap for a pneumatic thread remover including a tube in which subatmospheric pressures can be created, said trap comprising a hollow holder proportioned to fit within the tube REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,652,3 i1 Beck et al Dec. 13, 1927 2,336,321 Turner Dec. 7, 1943 2,354,255 Gillum et al July 25, 1944 2,400,963 Turner May 28, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 855,300 France Feb. 12, 1940 

